To Honor or Not to Honor

            Perquimans County will celebrate its 350^th anniversary on April 27-28 with Riverbash, a festival that promises to be the biggest and best party we’ve ever had in Hertford. Anyone familiar with the history of Perquimans County knows there is much to celebrate.

            Many of the older residents of the area can remember a period when Hertford was a lot livelier than it is now. I’m referring to the war years when sailors from Harvey Point would come to town to enjoy free time away from the base. I can imagine many of them at a Saturday night dance or holding hands with a local girl at the movie house behind Erie Haste’s hardware store.

            Harvey Point wasn’t the only military installation in the area. A much larger one was the Elizabeth City Coast Guard base where American pilots joined others from Great Britain and the Soviet Union to train for Project Zebra, a secret mission to bomb German submarines. A year ago, the Elizabeth City town council voted unanimously to honor these airmen with a statue of an American, a Brit, and a Russian standing together as a symbol of the cooperation between war allies. The bronze memorial costing a million dollars would be paid for by Russia. Not a bad idea, it seemed at the time. But now, in a 5-3 decision, the council has nixed the project.

            One councilman doesn’t want it because none of the figures are black or female. A second doesn’t want a statue that would block the view of the water. A third said it would remind him of Stalin and might be a Trojan horse with equipment to hack computers. Forgotten is the primary reason for the statue: honoring our veterans and our allies in a war against evil. Myopia, it would seem, is a common affliction among local officials from Charlottesville to Elizabeth City.

            As for me, I’m looking forward to Riverbash and the celebration of Perquimans County’s long history. As we party with food, song, and dance, I hope we will not forget to salute the men and women who have served and continue to serve our country both in war and peace. That’s a part of our history we should always remember. And honor.